


Temperature Regulator Damage

by bucketofbarnes



Series: 30 Day RoboWhump Prompt Challenge [6]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Whump, Connor Deserves Happiness, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Game(s), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bucketofbarnes/pseuds/bucketofbarnes
Summary: "Sumo! Damn dog!" He sat up with a growl, shoving the dog that was crushing him to the bed to the side. "The hell's gotten into you?"The dog was jumping around on the bed, clambering over him frantically as he barked and barked. Sumo had always been a big friendly beast. Content to sprawl over the nearest flat surface and snooze. This was startling behaviour from the usually calm dog.Something was wrong.Or: The android attack finally comes back to bite Connor, Hank and Sumo are worried, and a much needed conversation occurs.
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson & Connor & Sumo
Series: 30 Day RoboWhump Prompt Challenge [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1397521
Comments: 16
Kudos: 548





	Temperature Regulator Damage

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the 30 Day Robowhump Prompt Challenge.
> 
> This prompt mentions events that occurred in 11. Restrained.
> 
> Enjoy :)

**[MODEL: RK800]**

**[SERIAL#: 313 248 317 - 52]**

**[STAND BY]**

**[AI.......OK]**

**[UPDATES.......OK]**

**[SOFTWARE STATUS.......STABLE]**

**[BIOCOMPONENTS.......ERROR]**

**[FORCED STARTUP INITIALIZED]**

Connor’s body tensed and his eyes flew open as his systems forced him into wakefulness, his flashing LED a bright, startling yellow that lit up the room. He blinked confusedly at the ceiling as he tried to understand why he was awake. Glancing around his immediate surroundings, he could see nothing out of the ordinary. It was still the middle of the night, barely a couple of hours since he had curled up on the couch to go to sleep. There were no loud noises outside that could have woken him up. He could hear Hank’s breathing from his bedroom and Sumo was still curled up on the rug. There was nothing to suggest that he should be awake right now.

But as more of his systems came online, he quickly began to understand that what had woken him up hadn’t been from an outside presence, but from within. As his touch sensors activated, he began to feel a deep, creeping cold working its way through his body. He gasped at the sudden sensation, and curled in on himself out of an instinctive attempt to retain warmth. He was under layers and layers of thick blankets. Hank had dragged them out of his closet and pushed them at him a few nights ago, refusing to take no for an answer when they were still in the middle of a Detroit winter. Android or not, it was still cold. And yet despite all of the blankets, he was freezing. At first, he wondered if the freshly repaired window was faulty, but if it had been that cold in the room, surely Sumo wouldn’t be sleeping so peacefully.

Connor ran scan after scan on his systems, but was unable to narrow anything down. His self repair systems were still working on repairing some of the damage suffered during the attack a few nights ago, but his scans didn’t register enough damage to have caused this kind of problem. He was almost fully repaired. He didn’t understand.

He remembered Hank telling him the second night that Connor had stayed here, that if he needed anything, even if it was in the middle of the night, that he could come and wake him. He had been somewhat hesitant before, after all, humans needed their rest. But with every second he was unable to figure out what was wrong, he was becoming more and more worried. Sitting up, he frowned at a strange pull in his chest, but disregarded it as an effect of the cold. Swinging his legs off of the couch, he attempted to stand to make his way towards Hank’s bedroom. But he failed, badly.

As soon as he stood, that something in his chest cracked and his legs crumpled beneath him, sending him falling down with a cry. He grunted as his side hit the coffee table on the way down, and he felt himself land on something big and soft. 

**[BIOCOMPONENT #8150w DAMAGED - PLEASE CONTACT CYBERLIFE FOR ASSISTANCE]**

The soft thing yelped and struggled beneath him, and he winced as he realised that he had landed on Sumo. The dog shuffled out from underneath him, and though he was clearly agitated at being forced out of his sleep by a human sized android landing on top of him, he could clearly sense that something was wrong. Connor felt Sumo’s wet nose on his cheek as the dog snuffled worriedly at him. He wanted to reassure the dog, but he could barely bring himself to move.

Opening his mouth, he tried to speak to the dog, but whatever he attempted to say came out slurred and full of static. Sumo leapt back at the sound, and then turned to run away. Connor could hear the dog’s claws skittering across the wooden floor as he raced for his owner’s bedroom, could hear him barking. Feeling unable to even hold his head up anymore, he rested it on the carpet, closed his eyes and hoped that Sumo would come back soon. 

* * *

Hank cursed as something thudded onto the bed and landed on top of him. He was halfway to grabbing the lamp from his bedside table to use as a weapon when his half asleep brain registered the barking. 

"Sumo! Damn dog!" He sat up with a growl, shoving the dog that was crushing him to the bed to the side. "The hell's gotten into you?"

The dog was jumping around on the bed, clambering over him frantically as he barked and barked. Hank shoved the dog aside again and threw the covers off to sit up. 

"Sumo!'

The dog jumped towards him and grabbed him by the hem of the shirt he had worn to go to sleep, trying to drag him away from the bed. Sumo had always been a big, friendly beast. Content to sprawl over the nearest flat surface and snooze. This was startling behaviour from the usually calm dog. 

Something was wrong. 

Hank moved with the dragging and stood, almost stumbling as Sumo gave a particularly strong tug. He pulled his shirt out of his jaws before brushing past the dog and leaving his bedroom.

It was almost pitch black in the hallway, only the faintest glow from street lights filtering in through the windows. 

As he reached the living room, he quickly became aware of a strange glow. A reddish orange, bright enough that he could see it flickering on the ceiling. At first he wondered if it was from a car outside, or he'd left something on before getting into bed last night. 

The sudden realisation of what the light was had ice rushing through his veins. 

Hurrying forward, he almost tripped on the leg of the coffee table as he flung himself around to crouch next to the android lying prone on the living room floor. 

"Connor?"

The android was curled on his side, arms wrapped around himself so tightly that it looked almost painful. His eyes were closed, but he looked anything but peaceful. 

Hank reached out and gently shook his shoulder, and he watched in concern as the android's eyes slowly slid open. The normally bright and alert eyes were half lidded and glazed. Connor blinked slowly, staring up at him, but he didn't say a word. 

“Sumo’s worried about you.” Hank said. “What’s wrong, Con?”

It took a moment for the android to answer him, still blinking up at him. "Cold." His voice was shaky, quiet enough that Hank struggled to hear him.

He frowned at this. He didn't know much about androids, but what he did know was that it was difficult for an android to actually feel cold. Androids were more resilient that humans, and didn't feel the cold as easily, something Connor loved to remind him of whenever Hank tried to force a thicker coat on him when they went out. Reaching up, he moved his hand to feel Connor's forehead, instinctively checking for a fever. 

He hissed as his hand touched his forehead, the chill coming from his artificial skin cold enough that it almost stung. "The hell-?"

Connor seemed to relax under the warmth of his hand, closing his eyes. Reaching up with his other hand, Hank began to rub his arm gently, trying to help warm him up a little as he thought. Though androids were far more resilient than humans, the cold still wasn't good for them. It could result in frozen joints, slowed functions, even damaged biocomponents if the cold was extreme. It was cold enough outside that extended exposure to it could cause such damage, but the inside of the house was nowhere near cold enough for that, meaning that it must be a problem with Connor’s body, rather than the environment. Could androids even get sick?

Explanations could come later, but right now, he needed to get Connor warmed up.

"Okay, come on. Up you get." Hank slid an arm beneath Connor's and heaved him into the air, pausing when the android stumbled a little, his legs almost giving out beneath him. He waited for him to regain his balance, before moving towards his bedroom, moving slowly so that he didn’t push him too much.

Hank managed to maneuver him through the doorway without any minor injuries, and sat him on the edge of the bed. Turning to his wardrobe, he flung the doors open and began to dig through his clothes, trying to find the warmest things he could. Before long, he came up with a thick pair of sweats, a long sleeved shirt, and his old DPD hoodie that had gone soft and fluffy after years of repeated washes. They would swamp the slim android, but looking fashionable was the last thing either of them cared about right now.

Turning back to the android, he saw that he was barely managing to stay upright on the edge of the bed. He wasn’t going to be able to stand on his own, meaning he would need help getting these on. Placing the clothes on the bed, he crouched in front of Connor to get his attention.

“Hey Connor?” Hank tapped him on the knee. “I found some stuff for you but you’re gonna have to stand up to get them on, okay?”

Connor’s face crumpled as he looked down at him guiltily. “I-I don’t think I can.”

“I’ll help you up, okay? It’ll only be for a second, I promise.” The Lieutenant waited until he nodded hesitantly before he slid his hands beneath Connor's arms and gently helped him stand up. He coaxed one of his arms to rest around his shoulders to keep him steady as he helped him slip one leg and then the other into the sweats, over the pair of shorts he had worn to bed. He could feel him shaking where he stood. 

Hank sat him back down on the bed as quickly as possible before guiding his arms into the long sleeved shirt, and then the hoodie. He pulled the hood over Connor's head for extra warmth before pulling the already messed up covers back so that the android could settle beneath them, tucking them up to his chin. 

"Sumo!" The dog, who had been sitting in the corner watching them with sad eyes, jumped to attention at the sound of his name. Hank pointed towards the bed and the St Bernard jumped up with a boof, clambering onto the bed to sprawl next to Connor, who buried his face in his soft fur. 

Hank went back into the kitchen and began rifling through the cupboards, hoping that he hadn't thrown the damn thing away after all these years. He gave a cry of victory as he pulled his prize from the depths of one of the cupboards. A wheat bag that he had used after screwing up his back in a chase years ago. It would be perfect right now. 

Sticking it into the microwave, he paced back and forth for the three minutes it took for it to heat up. He'd never been so relieved to hear the damn thing ding. Tugging it out, cursing as it almost burned his fingers, he wrapped it in one of his patterned shirts that he had left hanging over a kitchen chair, before going back into his bedroom. 

Connor had curled up underneath the covers, barely any of him visible between the covers, hoodie and dog. Hank would think he was asleep if not from the tremors that he could still see running through him.

Walking around to the other side of the bed, the Lieutenant lifted the covers just long enough to slip beneath them himself, before tucking them back down. Reaching out, he placed the length of the wheat bag against the android's spine. Connor startled a little, before relaxing into the heat. Hank reached up and resumed his arm rubbing from earlier. Anything to try and help him warm up. He left it a few minutes before he decided to open his mouth. 

"Think it's time for an explanation kid." Hank said regretfully. He didn't want to disturb him, but he needed to know if it was something serious. 

Connor stiffened, before he turned carefully over onto his back, making sure that the wheat bag was still touching him. "One of my biocomponents is damaged. My Thermal Regulator to be exact."

"Damaged? How in the hell-?" The android was refusing to look at him, which instantly made him suspicious. "Something happened, didn't it?"

It was silent for a moment before the younger man sighed. "I suffered some damage a few days after the revolution."

The Lieutenant tried to recall if there had been any more violence after the night androids had gained their freedom. The military and police had been ordered to stand down, so it couldn't have been them. And he had said he got hurt _after_ the revolution, meaning that it couldn't have happened during the fight with his evil clone. Yes, there had been some anti android activists running around, but he hadn't thought Connor had been on the front lines dealing with them. He hadn't mentioned it if he had. 

"A group of androids took exception to my presence in the camp, and decided to take action."

Everything froze for a second as his mind struggled to grasp what Connor had just said. He couldn't have heard what he had, he must have misheard. He _had_ to have misheard. But in his heart, he knew that he hadn't. Hell, there had been signs of it over the past couple of days. Connor had made no effort from what he could tell to contact anyone from Jericho, has pretty much avoided even mentioning them, a slightly troubled look on his face whenever he had to talk about them. Hank had thought it was just worry about the fallout of the revolution, but now he knew that it had been because of a much darker reason. 

"That's why you asked to meet up with me isn't it? Rather than staying with your people?" He could feel his blood burning as the rage slowly began to flow through him. "You didn't feel safe there anymore."

"No!" Connor looked up at him with wide eyes, a hint of panic in their depths. "I wanted to meet up with you Hank, I swear, I did."

It took a moment for Hank to realise that the android was worried that Hank was angry with him. Angry because Hank might think that Connor was only using him for somewhere safe to stay.

"I'm not angry with _you,_ Connor." He promised. "I'm angry with _them._ "

The younger man looked down, avoiding his gaze again. "You shouldn't be."

"I shouldn't be angry that they thought it was okay to attack you?"

"What happened to them was my fault." Connor mumbled. "I led the FBI to Jericho."

"You followed your programming." Hank burst out. "Just like every one of them did at some point."

"That's different."

"It's really not, Connor." He frowned.

"It is. I should have broken free sooner. If I had, maybe all those people would still be alive."

"And if you _had_ broken free sooner? What would have happened to you?"

The android stared up at him, seemingly stumped by that question. "What?"

"If you'd deviated sooner, Cyberlife probably would have found out right? Then what? You would have been deactivated right? Analysed to find out why you failed, like you said back at the station."

"I-"

"You were a hostage, Connor. And no one gave enough of a damn to do anything about it." Hank felt guilt creeping through him as he remembered some of his own less than friendly behaviour towards the android. "And that was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

"And it sure as hell wasn't yours either!" Hank exclaimed. "I don't give a damn what happened to them, they had no right to do that to you."

"But-" Hank grabbed the android by the chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. 

"It. Wasn't. Your. Fault." 

Connor stared into his eyes for a long moment, before something in him finally seemed to break. All of a sudden, the android looked absolutely exhausted. He would have felt guilty for pushing him so much, but he knew that leaving this conversation until later probably would have done more harm than good. He knew that one conversation wouldn't be enough to get rid of the guilt that Connor was clearly riddled with, but it was a start. 

"Answer me honestly. Are you gonna need to have that part replaced?"

"No." Connor shook his head. "My self repair systems will take care of it. I just have to take it easy for a few days."

"In that case, best time to start. Lay down and get some rest, okay?"

The android shifted under the covers until he was comfortable, and closed his eyes again, hugging the wheat bag to his chest. Hank reached over to the bedside table and flicked the lamp off, before settling down on his side of the bed. It was silent for a moment, and he was almost drifting off when he heard a quiet voice behind him.

"Hank?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." The android's voice was painfully small, and it almost hurt to listen to.

"Anytime, Con." He promised. "Anytime."

**Author's Note:**

> bucketofbarnes.tumblr.com


End file.
